[WSIS CS-Plenary] Global Alliance: Consultation

[mclauglm at po.muohio.edu]

In an effort to keep messages brief, as reasonably requested:

Is the truth of the matter that the Global Alliance is going to 
"happen" regardless of the decisions of some CS organizations that 
have identified ourselves as partners in the WSIS process (at least 
at one time)? I can't help but think so in reading Rik's message: 
"Consultations will continue until mid-April with various 
stakeholders on the Global Alliance. At the next UN ICT Task Force 
meeting in April in Dublin, these consultations will be brought 
together. On 13 September they plan to hold a roundtable in New York 
on the Global Alliance, and then to formally launch the Alliance at 
the WSIS in November in Tunis."

To whom does "they" refer? I thought that "they" involved" "us" at 
some level? What is happening here? A rhetorical question, really. at 
this point.

I would hope that we'd remember the lessons of history, or else we 
likely are condemned to repeat the mistakes--of the NWICO debate, of 
a "Global Compact" that has been a disaster in most cases, launched 
with the acquiescence of a few big NGOs, some of which have come to 
regret their compliance in an alliance in which big corporations are 
not asked to comply with anything on a mandated basis. On this list, 
some have wondered why so many CS organizations have "dropped out" 
after the first phase and have attributed the problem to lack of 
knowledge of the intricacies of internet governance. I applaud 
efforts to educate the rest of us on ICANN and other details because 
that is important, but it also might be worth considering whether 
some CS organizations simply have become disgusted with the process, 
for any (many) number of reasons.  

Regards,

Lisa

>Dear Rik, dear Karen, dear all,
>My first impression is to stop to respond to any
>sollicitation to take part to all initiatives... As
>long as i am informed nobody give to any association
>as important as it could be to debate and take
>position on behalf of the Civile Society.
>Alliances with the private sector, with the UN system,
>or and with government couterpart in this
>desequilibrated multipartnariat is going to put us in
>difficult position...
>Before any involvement in any proposal concerning the
>WSIS follow up process must be discussed in deep
>inside the CS famillies before having an official
>position  and an habilited porte parole.
>It is so easy for the our partners to say "with
>concertation and acceptation of the CS" in all cases
>when they have discussed the issue with one person or
>one association or NGO ! Perhaps is it a strategy in
>certain CS componient... so we have to clarify
>espaecially when we recently have suffured of such a
>situation with the UN-TFFM, when the UNDP decided who
>must represent the CS without any concertation with
>thoses who are in charge with the issue within the CS.
>All the best

Djilali

>